Ex-F1 world champion Kimi Räikkönen will remain faithful to the World Rally Championship. But the Finn will change his tactics and plans to place more emphasis on testing.

With his own team "ICE 1 racing" Kimi Räikkönen returns to the World Rally Championship in 2011. For a long time the rumour mill was buzzing that the Finn would withdraw completely, "but that was totally wrong," said his manager, Steve Robertson.

Räikkönen will take part in ten out of 13 of the World Rally Championship races with a Citroën WRC DS3. The expensive overseas rallies are omitted for budget reasons. Kimi will make good use of the resulting free time. Additional tests are planned to gather further experience.

For 2012, the signs are good that Räikkönen will remain in the WRC. After a two year break, he believes there is little chance that he will return to Formula 1. “It’s not impossible, but it certainly makes it harder to go back, the longer you leave it,” said Kimi. “If I missed Formula One I would have gone back, but in fact I haven’t missed it at all.”

Citroën has been running two teams in the World Rally Championship in recent years: the Citroën Total World Rally Team, which features multiple World Champion Sébastien Loeb and, until recently Dani Sordo, and the Citroën Junior Team, which in 2010 was sponsored by Red Bull and featured drivers Sébastien Ogier and former F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen. This year Ogier has moved up to partner Loeb, Sordo has joined Mini and the Junior Team is being discontinued – at least in name. It seems that the team will continue to exist, under the management of Benoit Nogier. The difference is that the cars will be leased to private operations, although the preparation and rally operations will be undertaken by the team, which has thus become a commercial enterprise, rather than a secondary factory team.

There will still be four cars running out of the team’s headquarters in Satory, near Versailles, but two will be customer cars. One of these will be run for Dutchman Peter van Merksteijn Jr under the Van Merksteijn Motorsport banner and the other will be for Kimi Räikkönen, who will compete under the new ICE 1 Racing WRC Team, which is funded by sponsors. It is expected that both cars will be seen in 10 of the 13 WRC events. Norway’s Petter Solberg was hoping to be involved but it seems that he will continue to run his own operation as and when he can.

There was never much doubt that Räikkönen would stay in the World Rally Championship in 2011, having started down a new career path in 2010, after an unhappy time at Ferrari in 2008 and 2009, which followed his World Championship title with the team in 2007.

The monosyllabic Finn says that he will not rule out a return to Formula 1 one day, but added that if he had missed F1 he would have returned but found that he did not miss it all.

Citroën has been running two teams in the World Rally Championship in recent years: the Citroën Total World Rally Team, which features multiple World Champion Sébastien Loeb and, until recently Dani Sordo, and the Citroën Junior Team, which in 2010 was sponsored by Red Bull and featured drivers Sébastien Ogier and former F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen. This year Ogier has moved up to partner Loeb, Sordo has joined Mini and the Junior Team is being discontinued – at least in name. It seems that the team will continue to exist, under the management of Benoit Nogier. The difference is that the cars will be leased to private operations, although the preparation and rally operations will be undertaken by the team, which has thus become a commercial enterprise, rather than a secondary factory team.

There will still be four cars running out of the team’s headquarters in Satory, near Versailles, but two will be customer cars. One of these will be run for Dutchman Peter van Merksteijn Jr under the Van Merksteijn Motorsport banner and the other will be for Kimi Räikkönen, who will compete under the new ICE 1 Racing WRC Team, which is funded by sponsors. It is expected that both cars will be seen in 10 of the 13 WRC events. Norway’s Petter Solberg was hoping to be involved but it seems that he will continue to run his own operation as and when he can.

There was never much doubt that Räikkönen would stay in the World Rally Championship in 2011, having started down a new career path in 2010, after an unhappy time at Ferrari in 2008 and 2009, which followed his World Championship title with the team in 2007.

The monosyllabic Finn says that he will not rule out a return to Formula 1 one day, but added that if he had missed F1 he would have returned but found that he did not miss it all.

I remember reading somewhere (and also looking at the rally calendar and the map) I think....they are:MexicoArgentinaAustralia

yes i also feel the same. Looking at the map there is not other rallies apart from these three that can fall in to the overseas category of rallies.What i personally feel is that missing all the three gravel rallies wont be such a nice thing to do.

Missing / Skipping rally mexico seems inevitable but for argentina and australia kimi and co can surely find more funds if thats the factor for kimi to do more rallies.

I feel kimi will skip mexico and will be able to make the cut for argentina and australia

So its gonna be a mix of Ravishing Black and White for Kimi Raikkonen this season

In addition, some of the overseas events are probably not permanent in the World Rally Championship calendar, which is why Raikkonen does not necessarily have to get used to these events. The Finn could therefore possibly afford to skip a few rallies in 2011 and to test instead.

I remember reading somewhere (and also looking at the rally calendar and the map) I think....they are:MexicoArgentinaAustralia

In that case,6 weeks break each between Sweden and Portugal, Italy and Greece, Germany and France.Plus the summer break.Thats lots of free time.And now that its his own team, wouldn't he be required to do a lot of PR?

I remember reading somewhere (and also looking at the rally calendar and the map) I think....they are:MexicoArgentinaAustralia

In that case,6 weeks break each between Sweden and Portugal, Italy and Greece, Germany and France.Plus the summer break.

Of course he will be able to test during those breaks and take part in some smaller national rallies callendar permitting and of course any other motorsport events he fancies doing and pick the PR events he likes to do (as after all his hand picked sponsors have chosen Kimi to put their money into not some boring controlled corporate brand) Just to think of it "Own team. Own choices on a budget he can afford. How cool is that!

I think that answers your question below

Thats lots of free time.And now that its his own team, wouldn't he be required to do a lot of PR?